(Columbia Legacy) The two-disc “The Essential Dixie Chicks” arrived in stores this week, less than six months after the single-disc “Playlist: The Very Best of Dixie Chicks.” If that one seemed skimpy (no “Goodbye Earl” or “Travelin’ Soldier,” for instance), the new set feels bloated — it holds 30 of the 52 songs from the […]
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It comes as absolutely no surprise that “Saw 3D” opens tomorrow — actually, just after midnight tonight, in some San Antonio multiplexes — without being screened in advance for critics. The torture-porn franchise’s seventh (and supposedly final) film is also the fifth-straight to open unscreened, meaning no-opening day reviews tomorrow in Weekender or anywhere else. […]
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(Getty Images) Jon Bon Jovi, shown at a 2009 concert in London, will bring Bon Jovi to San Antonio on March 17. Bon Jovi fans who were afraid that the Nov. 8 concert event in a handful of San Antonio movie theaters was the closest they were going to get to the Jon and the […]
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There are some visually arresting moments in “Cirque Dreams Illumination” — the aerialist who is plunged into and plucked from a tub of water, spinning from a long white strap and flinging water all over the place springs instantly to mind — and the female contortionists are astonishing. But there aren’t enough of those moments […]
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How could a seemingly spent franchise such as “Jackass” break box-office records? Critics and movie-biz analysts are scratching their heads at the performance of “Jackass 3D,” which broke the fall box-office record by earning more than $50 million opening weekend and taking in $86 million in 10 days since its Oct. 15 debut. A handful […]
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(Fox Searchlight) Hilary Swank hits the books in “Conviction.” There’s no expiration date on creativity. This week’s rundown of new movies, books, CDs and DVDs includes an autobiography by Keith Richards, 66; a new CD by Bryan Ferry, 65; and an insane movie from French director Alain Resnais, 88. Movies • “Conviction”: Hot or not, […]
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Got a costume (or an idea for a costume) and a yen to see some live theater? Those two things will work together this weekend. For the final performance of the delightful “Blithe Spirit” Sunday afternoon, the Classic Theatre will knock $5 off the ticket price for any walk-in (meaning, no reservation) in costume. Show […]
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(Courtesy Starpix) “Paranormal Activity 2″ director Tod Williams greets New York fans in line for a special preview screening last Wednesday. Amazingly, the fan interest carried over to the general public last weekend. The task facing “Paranormal Activity 2″ seems not just daunting but damn near impossible. How could you possibly duplicate what appeared to […]
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“Homegrown Tomatoes,” playwright Micah McCoy’s take on the culture wars, plays like an authentic slice of Lone Star life. It’s built around a gay sex scandal that crushes a conservative minister, and calls out both left and right for closed-mindedness. It’s funny and even moving in a couple of places. It’s well worth catching. “Homegrown […]
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By David Hendricks Friday night’s San Antonio Symphony program was so Italian, just about all it lacked was pizza. The lineup combined baroque high spirits, opera-like drama and scenic 20th century impressionism. The opening Antonio Vivaldi concerto, “Alla Rustica,” ended before anyone knew it, lasting about four minutes. Written about 1730, it […]
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